Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997

Featuring an exquisite Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper from a small crop cultivated in 1997, this limited production Macanudo was the first maduro in the Macanudo Vintage series.

Underneath this hand-selected and well fermented wrapper leaf is a carefully blended concoction of Nicaraguan, Brazilian, and Dominican long-fillers.

The result is a super smooth blend that is also very deep and rich in flavor. Natural maduro sweetness is accompanied with notes of dark roasted coffee, cream, and cedar.

Produced by General Cigar, the Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997 is the first cigar from the General Vintage line to wear a maduro wrapper. Not only is this the first maduro vintage, the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is 13 years old.

Being the brainchild of General’s tobacco operations manager Edumundo Garcia, the vintage maduro 1997’s come packaged very different than your typical cigar.

Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997

The cigars have a metal band near the head of the stick, which is referred to as “Reserva Dorado” (meaning gold reserve).

The point of the metal ring is to not only catch the aficionado’s eye but to serve as a humidity gauge.

That’s right! If the cigar starts to dry out the metal band will become loose, just as if the cigar is over humidified it will inflate like a balloon, squishing itself against the metal ring.

Be aware though, once they have sold out of the cigars bearing the metal ring bands, the cigars will be marked with the normal Macanudo Vintage bands. So if you’re a collector you may want to hunt for them now.

The Macanudo Vintage Maduro is available in two sizes; 6 x 49 Perfecto, and 6 x 54 Toro, each available in boxes of twelve.

The cigar is available in two vitolas:

• Perfecto: 6 x 49
• Toro: 6 x 54
• Strength: Medium-to-full
• Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Nicaraguan Ligero, and a combination two types of Piloto Cubano long filler tobacco from the Dominican Republic
• Binder: Honduran
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro (13 years old)
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Macanudo Vintage Construction and Appearance: 

The Macanudo Vintage 1997 Maduro Toro has two bands, one metal ring which rests where a regular band does, and a second band at the foot which lists it as a Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997.

Uniquely, the cigar is meant to be smoked with the metal ring on while smoking. Also, according to Benji Menendez, the blender, the tightness or looseness of the metal ring on this cigar tells you whether it is over (tight) or under (loose) humidified!

The wrapper of the Macanudo Vintage 1997 Maduro Toro is a very dark brown, almost dark chocolate in color, with moderate veins which give it a bit of a rough look, and a very oily to it.

When I look into the foot of the Vintage 1997 you can see a couple of pitch-black filler leaves which really stand out.